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Beijing's private museums showcase 'pockets of weirdness and eccentricity'

CCTV.com

04-05-2016 00:16 BJT

Although Beijing does not have the level of support for public museums that other capital cities enjoy, this leaves room for private museums to showcase their collections.

A red door in a Beijing alleyway leads to a treasure trove of bric-a-brac. Kettles, teapots, and a pancake maker form part of this 'Beijing Old Items Exhibition' amassed by Wang Jinming and two co-founders since the 1980s.

The 40-square-meter private museum is packed with hundreds of objects people used at home or in the street from the 1900s to the 1970s.

Beijing

Beijing's private museums showcase 'pockets of weirdness and eccentricity'

"What is this? This is a handbell. It is also called a 'hucheng.' It is very hard and very loud. What is this bell used for? Many years ago, Beijing didn't have so many big hospitals," said Wang Jinming, manager, "Beijing Old Items Exhibition".

"When someone is ill at home, but with no hospital available, what to do? Wait for the bell!"

His enthusiasm for what may seem like mundane objects is infectious, including this pancake maker.

"Put the dough inside and bang! Close it, and it cooks immediately. If you replace the long handle with an electrical cable, it becomes an electric pancake maker. At that time there was no electricity, but today there is," Wang said.

As China has become richer, some wealthy Chinese have invested in Chinese art and started private museums as a way to show off their wealth or patriotic pride. Some private museums have billionaires or banks behind them. Others are run by people who had a hobby that developed into a calling.

Luo Wenyou cheaply sold off his three businesses - a go-kart track, a transport company, and a garage - to start his vintage car museum.

The impetus came when he attended a car rally in northern China in 1998 and realized his Red Flag car was the only Chinese car represented.

"I am the museum's security guard, I also live here, because as many people visit and it's all the way in the Beijing suburbs, you can't close, you can't turn people away. Even if one person comes we will open, even though the entrance fee won't cover the electricity," said Luo Wenyou, owner and curator, Beijing Vintage Cars Museum.

In 1996, Ma Weidu opened the Guanfu, China's first private museum.

Ma's latest marketing initiative is to turn cats, some of which were previously homeless, into assistant curators.

With their own "Cat Office" in a part of the museum building, they help to pull in more visitors.

"Cats are better in a museum than dogs, because a lot of people are afraid of dogs, because dogs bark, cats are quieter. So we decided to communicate with society through this channel," Ma said.

"A lot of people who come to the museum, the whole family including the elderly and children, are interested in cats more than culture. But some may visit here because of the cats and in doing so learn something about antiques."

It's an eccentric ploy, but then again, that's all part of the fun!

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